You’ve got a Golden Ticket to your dream vacation at the 2024 Festival of Trees

“I never thought that I would be
Slapped in the lap of luxury
‘Cause I’d have said
It couldn’t be done
but it can be done

‘Cause I got a golden ticket
I’ve got a golden twinkle
In my eye”

– Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

If you’ve ever wanted to be slapped in the lap of luxury, you might just get the chance at the 2024 Festival of Trees and Teddy Bear Tea events, happening this week and benefitting Special Olympics Wyoming.

Teddy Bear Tea, happening on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Best Western Downtown in Casper, is a chance to spend two hours in a world of pure imagination. It is an event that is free and open to the public and it serves as a chance for kiddos and their parents to get a “sneak peak” of the absolutely beautiful Christmas trees that will be auctioned off the following Thursday during the 36th Annual Festival of Trees.

At Teddy Bear Tea, attendees will be able to reach out and touch what once was and what will be again. The room will be full of trees and lights and, yes, teddy bears; some who may come to life…if you just use your imagination.

Of course, one of the biggest proponents of imagination is Santa Claus, and he’ll be at Teddy Bear Tea as well, willing and eager to meet with kiddos and hear what they want for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, the holiday will get a head start on Thursday when 12 meticulously and lovingly crafted Christmas trees will be on full display, lighting up the room and the hearts of those who attend. The 36th Annual Festival of Trees, benefitting Special Olympics Wyoming, will also be held at the Best Western Downtown, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the event beginning at 6 p.m.

Each tree will be part of a live auction, and there will be plenty of other items available for purchase during a silent auction. The biggest item, however, is available to bid on right now and, if won, it will serve as an absolute “Golden Ticket” to a beautiful getaway, a dream vacation, a world of pure imagination.

“Golden” Tickets are available now and only 125 tickets are being sold. Tickets are $100 and whomever buys a ticket, and is chosen as the winner, will get their choice of a vacation to Tuscany, Jamaica or Sedona. Or, for those inclined, they can choose a “Kentucky Bourbon Experience.”

The drawing of the Golden Ticket will occur at the Festival of Trees, but the winner does not need to be present to win.

At the time of this writing, there are 91 tickets remaining, which means, if a person purchases a ticket today, their chances of winning are very, very good.

Best of all? If all of the tickets are sold, Special Olympics Wyoming will make a $10,000 profit!

“This amount of money is SO incredibly important and would cover the cost of one of our state competition victory banquets,” said Madi Miller, the vice president of development for Special Olympics Wyoming. “The Victory Banquet is held the last night of competition, and it is a chance for our athletes to celebrate their wins, learn from losses, and be with their friends and teammates. And of course, there is ALWAYS a theme. We love to dress up and dance the night away!!”

The Golden Ticket is a way for individuals to win a dream vacation for themselves but, more importantly, it’s a chance to remind all of the athletes of Special Olympics Wyoming that there’s not just one person, not just two people pulling for them — but an entire state!

That is the purpose of the Golden Ticket, but it’s also the purpose of the Festival of Trees and Teddy Bear Tea as a whole.

“Festival of Trees is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Special Olympics Wyoming,” Miller shared. “The funds we raise at this event allow us to continue putting on high-quality competitions for our athletes. Everything we do, we do for the betterment of our athletes. We are so much more than sports, and a successful Festival of Trees means we can work on expanding the other programs we offer [Healthy Athletes, Young Athletes, Unified Champion Schools, etc.]. Slowly but surely, we are working towards a more inclusive Wyoming.”

Those who participate in the Festival of Trees and, especially, those who purchase a Golden Ticket, are directly responsible for a more inclusive Wyoming. It’s a way to honor the incredible athletes of Special Olympics Wyoming, and it’s a way to make countless dreams come true.

So, if you want to view paradise, simply look at them and view it.

Anything you want to…do it. Wanna change the world? There’s nothing to it.

All you have to do is purchase a Golden Ticket, dress to the nines and find yourself in a world full of imagination at the 2024 Festival of Trees and Teddy Bear Tea.

To purchase a Golden Ticket and possibly punch your own ticket to to your dream vacation, visit this website for a live, real-time auction: live.classy.org/auction/fot24/b8ad1fc3-8c3e-4603-971c-b8d5aadfe30b/item/77c3fdf8-ee16-4135-b640-a3fd0a688409

Tickets to the Festival of Trees are $50, or $75 for a pair. Tables are $750. Admission to Teddy Bear Tea is free, but donations of teddy bears, hats or scarves are encouraged.

For more information on the Festival of Trees and Teddy Bear Tea, visit the Special Olympics website and follow them on Facebook for daily updates.